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Community News

Potts Camp News
Dale Hollingsworth

Get well wishes to Joan Gurley

Beginning 40 days before Easter many of our churches celebrate Advent to prepare for that special day. A wreath of candles is used with one large white one in the center. Every Sunday before the pastor preaches, a family or person will give a short devotional and light a candle. On Easter morning, the large white candle is lit and the others are all blown out. It is a very special service.

We are sorry that Joan Gurley fell and broke her wrist recently and had surgery. It is very painful and hard to manage with one arm. It happened to me several years ago.

Joyce Clayton drove her brother, Jamie Smith of Byhalia, to the doctor Wednesday in Memphis. They haven’t operated on him yet; he is taking treatments. Pray for him.

Only God Knows

1. I do not know what lies ahead. The way I cannot see, but one stands near to be my guide and I know He holds my hand. With God things don’t just happen. Everything by Him is planned. So as I face tomorrow with its problems large or small I’ll trust the God of miracles and give Him my all.

2. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 4:6. Jesus our Savior is always with us, enabling us to be content no matter what our circumstance.

3. Because of Him we can be kind, even toward those who mistrust us, as we love, trust and depend on Him. He will give us the strength to do the impossible.

4. Oh God of love, you are so great, we are so small. Ask me not my race or creed, but take me in my hour of need. And let me know you love me too, and that I am a part of you, and some day may man realize that all the earth, the skies belong to God who made us all, the rich, the poor, the great and small. And in God’s holy sight, no man is yellow, red, black or white.

Weary and tired of life’s full day, silently now I kneel to pray. After a moment of peace I arise ready to meet life’s onrushing tides. I face the world bravely as from a tall spire. So, friend, when you, too, are tired at heart, kneel with your Master and get a new start. Take time to pray; it is the greatest power on earth.

Thoughts

1. For better or worse you and I are the ones Jesus depends on to tell the world how He lived and died on the cross to save us from our sins.

2. Anytime someone does a kindness for another they could be acting as God’s angel unaware. God has sent them there to be an answer to someone’s prayers. Angels are everywhere waiting for God to send them. Thank you, God, for all of the wonderful angels! Lord, help me to be an angel unaware for someone some day.

Happy birthday to Wendy Westmoreland on March 12; to Cory Henderson, grandson of Charles Henderson, on March 13; also to Makenzee Whaley, granddaughter of Mary Jo and Fred Whaley, on March 14. Happy birthday to Connie Work on March 15; her niece, Kristie Fincher on March 16; also to Lindey Sanders on March 17.

Get well wishes to Mary Jo McCallum, Diane Clayton, Robert Hugh King, Henry Tutor, Mary Jarrett, Mary Jo Whaley, Connie Work, Betty Fincher. Pray for the sad and lonely, those who have lost their jobs and homes, and those who had a death in the family.

Memories and History

Two of the Potts Camp leaders in the early days of our town were Dr. F.P. Boatner, who served two terms later in the ’20s as a state senator, and A.Q. Greer, the first Potts Camp banker.

At one time, late in the afternoon you would see a long line of wagons drawn by horses on Front St. They had empty barrels to fill with water from an over-flowing well near the railroad tracks. A wooden trough was built for the horses to drink from, also.

Only 75 families lived here, so Potts Camp was called a village. In 1912, Dr. Boatner and Mr. Greer were instrumental in getting Potts Camp changed to a town, so money could be borrowed to put down a deep well. By 1916 water had been piped to every family in our town. We also had concrete sidewalks before other towns in the area.

In 1910, Grandpa Potts built the two-story “Potts House” on Front St. near the railroad tracks. Most of their children had grown up on Potts Creek, about two miles from town, and moved away, so they boarded salesmen. Grandpa was the mayor of Potts Camp for over 20 years. He also owned a general store.

In 1915 the coal chute was built between the railroad tracks, near Grandpa’s home. It was the largest one on the Frisco Railroad and the only one between Memphis and Amory, so all the trains stopped there before 1950, when it was no longer needed. A round watertank was also located near the coal chute. My older brother James and I (11 and 14 years old) decided to climb up the ladder on the coal chute (not to the top). It was exciting to look all over the town. Then we climbed the two ladders to the round water tank and looked down into the clear water inside. God was watching over us that day!

The coal chute was demolished in 1977.

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